


Evangeline

by allmyfluffylove



Category: Disney - Fandom, Haikyuu!!
Genre: Characters Watching Disney Movies, Disney and Haikyuu!! are basically my life, Fluffy, I really go crazy with the moon and star/constellation metaphors, M/M, Movie Night, My First Work in This Fandom, dino nerd tsukki, touch of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-22 17:58:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6089233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmyfluffylove/pseuds/allmyfluffylove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When he’s here, with him, Yamaguchi’s like the shooting star you never thought you’d be able to see, but you did, because you were stubborn enough to keep watching the sky. </p><p>It’s cool.</p><p>For anyone out there who's found their Evangeline and anyone out there who's still wishing on stars.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I ship these two like Fedex. I am seriously considering to ship the OTP package because oh my gracious, these two dorks make my fluffy heart sing. My first offering to the gay volleyball fandom. This idea came to me and refused to leave so here we are. If you’re a disney fanatic, you’ll get the reference to the title! Enjoy <3

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Aw come on, Tsukki!”

“Seriously? Disney?”

“Hey, you’re the one who said I could choose the movie this time.”

“I know I did, but I didn’t know you were going to pick -” Tsukishima looked down at the brightly coloured DVD case Yamaguchi was holding, gold cursive title **_The Princess & The Frog_** faintly shining in the light of Tsukishima’s bedroom. 

“A children’s movie.”

Yamaguchi gave a long sigh and before he could stop himself, Tsukishima felt his lips perk into a small smile, enjoying the freckled boy’s look of exasperation. 

“Please, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi whined. “We’ve been watching the Jurassic Park series for the past three movie nights.”

Tsukishima crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow, ready to defend his favourite film franchise. “And this is a problem because…?”

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes. “The plot is so repetitive! They’re all the same movie! Except with different dinosaurs! And the child actors! Oh my gosh, Tsukki, can’t you see that they just  keep getting worse?!”

As Yamaguchi continued his rant, Tsukishima privately couldn’t agree more with most, if not all, of his statements but he wasn’t going to step down for two important reasons. 

One. Dinosaurs. Obviously. 

Two, though he’ll never admit it outright, he liked… ok, fine. He _loved_ to bicker and be a smartass, especially with Yamaguchi and Yamaguchi alone. He gets to see the rare but extraordinary blooming of his shy wallflower friend into an excitable bundle of energy, who’s not afraid to raise his voice, to make himself heard, to say what he has to say.

Even _if_ it’s to downplay one of the most grossing franchises in cinematic history in order to defend a cartoon with a trumpet-playing crocodile. 

When he’s here, with him, Yamaguchi’s like the shooting star you never thought you’d be able to see, but you _did_ , because you were stubborn enough to keep watching the sky. 

It’s cool. 

Tsukishima arranged his face into a mask of indifference, cold as the moon, hoping it hid his feelings for this boy that burned inside him, hot as the sun. 

When Yamaguchi appeared to have run out of things to say and had begun to ramble, Tsukishima cleared his throat and replied, “That’s all well and good, but I still don’t see why we shouldn’t continue watching the series.” He quickly added, “I thought you liked action films,” just to keep the argument going. 

It’s stargazing time. 

Yamaguchi’s rambling faded to humming as he thought over a reply. Tsukishima used the opportunity to notice the cute way Yamaguchi’s nose scrunched up when in thought, how he bit his bottom lip, how he twiddled with his thumbs like the way he did when they first met. 

It’s cute. 

The humming stopped, signalling the time of pondering had come to an end. 

Tsukishima quickly tore his gaze away as Yamaguchi shrugged and replied, “I do like action movies, but I also like movies that give me a fuzzy, feel-good feeling. A feeling that makes me so thankful that I watched it.”  

Yamaguchi’s lips turned up into a small smile. “I love movies that give me that feeling.”

Tsukishima had to bite his tongue to not blurt out something stupid, something along the lines of _I love the way you talk about this feeling_ and _I want to be the person that gives you those kind of feelings_. 

See? Stupid. 

Thankfully, Yamaguchi was too busy frowning down at the pile of Jurassic Park DVDs piled on his desk to notice his almost slip up. 

“Seriously, I think I’ve become desensitised to jump scares now. _Jump scares, Tsukki!_ (Karasuno Halloween parties were Yamaguchi’s personal hell) And I don’t know how you, of all people, can stand seeing stupid American tourists being eaten by talking raptors!”

Tsukishima pretended to ponder, giving his now stinging tongue a moment to get its act together. “It’s a pathetic plot ploy, but I find it amusing. As for the talking animal comment, you’re asking me to watch a movie with talking _fireflies_.” 

It was time to make a smart ass comment. 

He didn’t want to stop watching the sky. 

Not yet. 

He closed his eyes for a moment; letting himself recall the dinosaur encyclopaedia he finished reading in the eighth grade. 

“And honestly, if I had to choose, I’d go with the talking _Velociraptor monogoliensis_ any day.”

As soon as he let that comment fly, Tsukishima Kei knew he was a goner. 

Yamaguchi’s eyes began to glimmer, pout disappearing and Tsukishima watched with a thudding heart as two dimples appeared among the freckles scattered across the corners of Yamaguchi’s cheeks. 

His favourite constellation.

Tsukishima forced himself to look away. If he saw Yamaguchi’s smile, he might as well be waving the white flag of surrender and yelling out something along the lines of y _es, I’ll gladly watch this movie with singing frogs because you’re adorable and giving me heart palpitations._

Again. Stupid. 

He resigned himself to looking at the blue paint of his bedroom wall, which did absolutely _nothing_ to calm his burning red feelings. 

Screw colour theory. 

“I still don’t see what the problem is.”

Yamaguchi quickly replied, confident with victory. “It’s because you’re Tsukki, a dinosaur lover, and a total nerd!”. 

Tsukishima knew that it was time, to stop watching the stars and get back to Earth. To frown at the wall and pinch his lips closed into a scowl. It was time to watch himself, to protect his secret, rather than his pride.  

Pretty lame right?

 _Don’t even think about it_ , he thought to himself as he felt the blush creep up his neck. 

Yamaguchi began to giggle, telling him that the rosy warmth had spread to his face. A lock of brown hair brushed his burning cheek, leaving a trail of tingles behind, as Yamaguchi passed his side to take hold of a green dinosaur plushy on the desk shelf beside the encyclopaedia, the very same one that helped him to identify said plushy as a _Camarasaurus_. 

Because dinosaurs. Obviously. 

The freckled boy held it gently in his hands, stroking the fabric with careful fingers. Tsukishima dropped his arms and stood beside him to grudgingly look down at the toy, the first one he’d ever been given. 

_He made a wish on a shooting star._

“You kept her,” Yamaguchi murmured as he squeezed the dinosaur’s tail. They were so close, shoulders almost pressed together. He could smell the faint scent of strawberries from Yamaguchi’s shampoo. 

_He wanted to reach out to the sky._

_To hold his shooting star_. 

He pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose instead.

“Of course,” hoping his voice didn’t give anything away.

Yamaguchi gave a giggle, short but sweet. Tsukishima’s chest ached at the sound. 

“Have you given her a name yet?” Yamaguchi looked up at him with wide brown eyes, gentle and curious. Tsukishima felt another wave of heat surge through him. He rubbed a hand, now sweaty, _pathetic,_ along the back of his neck. 

“I was hoping you could help me with that.”

“Tsukki, it’s been four years!”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki.”

He watched as the freckled boy placed she-who-shall-soon-be-named back on his desk, pick up the Disney DVD and skip to his bed with shining eyes. 

In his mind’s eye Tsukishima didn’t see Yamaguchi skipping, but a shooting star, sailing across the sky, to grant wishes for eternity. 

 _If only he could grant mine._  

Tsukishima booted up his laptop and brought out the prepared snacks, placing them against the headboard. 

“You ready, Tsukki?”

Yamaguchi knelt beside him with the DVD, making sure their arms didn’t touch. Tsukishima felt a violent tug in his stomach. 

“Don’t do that.”  

Yamaguchi’s arm jerked and brushed Tsukishima’s shoulder. Eyes widened in surprise, and a touch of fear, Yamaguchi turned his head so they were looking at each other, face to face. 

“Don’t do … what, Tsukki?”

Not giving his nerves a chance to kick in, Tsukishima reached out with a trembling, pale finger to lightly trace a trail across Yamaguchi’s cheek. It took only a few moments for him to trace the path of freckles all the way up to the bridge of Yamaguchi’s nose. With his last ounce of courage, Tsukishima cupped his hand around Yamaguchi’s other cheek and let his thumb caress the soft ridge of his cheekbone. 

“I… I like it, when we touch.”

Yamaguchi’s mouth fell open into a small O of astonishment. 

“So… don’t keep your distance. It’s ok if we do.”

Tsukishima let his hand drop and briskly rose from the laptop, urging his shaky legs to take him to the bathroom. He could feel Yamaguchi’s stare burning into the back of his head. He sighed in relief when he closed the door and commenced to he splash himself with cold water, drenching his face and hands. Tsukishima clenched his hands around the rim of the sink and stared into the overhanging mirror, giving himself a very much needed moment of calculation and analysis.  

_What on Earth were you thinking?_

He knew exactly what he was thinking. How much he wanted to let Yamaguchi know it was ok to touch. How much he wanted to let Yamaguchi know that he _wanted_ to be touched. 

 _He didn’t turn away… but he didn’t say anything either._  

Tsukishima groaned and pressed his forehead into the glass. His list of English vocabulary and simple sentences streamed through his mind, something along the lines of “Why is my heart beating so fast?”. 

_Love._

Tsukishima lifted his head off the glass and pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. He dried his hands and face on his towel and gave his heartbeat a chance to change to a safe rhythm, for his inner sun to set and his inner moon to rise. 

He opened the door and made his way back to his bedroom. 

_Watch a Disney movie._

_With talking fireflies._

_It’s going to be cool._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I make a lot of references to the movie so here's the synopsis if you need it! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess_and_the_Frog

When Tsukishima came back into the room, he was surprised to see that the lights were already turned off and the window blinds drawn. Faint instrumental music signalled that the movie was set to the starting menu. Yamaguchi was huddled against the headboard of Tsukishima’s single bed, his elbow placed at an awkward angle to avoid crushing the pile of snacks. He had wrapped Tsukishima’s navy blue blanket around his shoulders and held the obligatory bowl of popcorn in his lap. Tsukishima’s stomach began to churn as he spotted the space left on the mattress. He’d have to fold up his legs or… sit shoulder to shoulder to Yamaguchi to fit. Tsukishima gave a nervous swallow; he had to leave after touching Yamaguchi for _one minute_ , how could he cope being pressed up against him for an _hour and a half_ long movie?

As if he could sense Tsukishima’s reluctance, Yamaguchi asked him in a cheerful voice, “Do you just want to eat popcorn? Because I’m fine with that!”

“What?”

“I can move the snacks, that way you’ll have more space and I won’t have to keep my arm like this!”

Yamaguchi’s gentle brown eyes gazed right at him, no awkwardness whatsoever. Tsukishima’s twanging nerves began to settle.

_So… he doesn’t know?_

Tsukishima gave a quiet sigh of relief, shielding his face from Yamaguchi’s gaze by readjusting his glasses. He started to make his way to the bed and replied, “Oh, right. We have practice tomorrow, don’t we?”

Yamaguchi grinned. “Yep, I need my arm perfect for tomorrow’s practice match with Nekoma! I want to test my float serve against Yaku-san, he’s such an amazing libero, isn’t he?”

“I’d be more worried about Kenma, he’ll come up with a counter for sure.”

“Yeah, he’s very observant and analytical, like you Tsukki!”

As they talked about tomorrow, Yamaguchi was calmly moving all the packets of snack food to the floor and easily shifting his body over to leave more room for Tsukishima’s lanky body. He even placed a pillow against the headboard for him, so his back wouldn’t get sore during the movie.

When he reached the side of the bed, Tsukishima’s stomach wasn’t churning in unease anymore; it was fluttering instead, with the wings of innumerable butterflies.

“Thank you,” he said as he climbed onto the mattress and stretched out his legs in front of him. Yamaguchi had left enough room so their shoulders didn’t touch but if either of them wanted to, that could easily happen. As far as Tsukishima was concerned, it was the perfect distance between him and the freckled boy.

This freckled boy, who can read him like an open book.

“No problem, Tsukki! Now, are you ready to watch the movie?”

Yamaguchi’s excitement was contagious; Tsukishima felt his lips turn up into one of his secret smiles, the ones he saved for people he took his armour off for. People like Yamaguchi.

“Yeah.”

Tsukishima’s heart stuttered under the full glow of Yamaguchi’s smile, those freckles and dimples seeming to shine in the light of the laptop. Yamaguchi’s eyes practically _twinkled_ as he clicked PLAY on the movie’s starting menu and Tsukishima had never seen anything so perfect as the opening sequence for the Disney franchise. It played across the screen, ethereal piano music matching the pulse of the single, silver star twinkling in the sky over the castle. A firefly flew upwards in an arch, just below the star, leaving a glowing golden trail above the castle. Fireworks shot up and exploded into a shower of coloured sparks, silver letters proclaiming Walt Disney Studios concluding the beautifully animated sequence. Tsukishima’s eyes flitted briefly to Yamaguchi’s face and flinched when he found that Yamaguchi was already looking at him. The screen faded to black but Tsukishima knew that they were still gazing at each other. In the temporary darkness, Tsukishima wondered if Yamaguchi was still reading him.

_But can he read my heart?_

Tsukishima turned away as the movie started, with a song, obviously. It was only when the title appeared did Yamaguchi’s eyes focus back on the screen.

As the screen introduced a couple of characters, Tsukishima made a silent vow: He was going to keep his cool, no matter what. Despite his internal struggle of keeping his emotions under wraps, Tsukishima found himself enjoying the movie pretty early on, maybe it had to with the fact that the protagonist, Tiana, wasn’t even a princess and that her goal in life wasn’t to get married before the age of 20, but to own her own restaurant in New Orleans.

_Interesting._

Tiana’s best friend though, Lottie, irked him to no end with her bright pink outfits and annoying, nasally voice. But Yamaguchi giggled at every scene she appeared in so, she wasn’t a total hindrance to his movie experience. As the scene introducing the prince, Naveen, played across the screen Tsukishima leaned over to his side to get some popcorn. His arm grazed Yamaguchi’s chest and Tsukishima felt the familiar but still shocking tingles reverberate through his body, like a wire conducting electricity. The tingles made his heart pound alarmingly louder and the butterflies in his stomach took flight once more. He quickly grabbed a handful from the bowl and retreated, making sure the touch of Yamaguchi didn’t shock him again.

_So much for keeping my cool. Pathetic._

The boy in question thankfully didn’t seemed to be offended by Tsukishima’s actions; in fact, the quirk in his smile and his raised eyebrows indicated that he was instead amused. When Naveen shoved a tuba on top of one of the minor antagonist, Yamaguchi giggled, mouth full of popcorn. The effect on him was immediate and Tsukishima was totally helpless as he felt his cheeks warm and a light tinge of red started to reflect in his glasses.

_To hell with keeping my cool. Yamaguchi Tadashi is freaking adorable._

Yamaguchi’s giggle quickly faded to be replaced by a nervous mumble when Naveen was led into meeting the film’s villain, the Shadow Man, Dr. Facilier. The villain’s musical number followed promptly and Tsukishima saw Yamaguchi place the popcorn bowl down to wrap himself tighter in the blanket. His eyes, which shone bright like stars only moments ago, had faded to a frightened glimmer. Ghastly shades of green and purple flashed from the laptop, casting the two boys in a sinister light as the Shadow Man seduced Naveen into becoming a frog. It was a dark scene, not what he expected at all, and Tsukishima found himself questioning whether this was really a children’s movie.

Trembling fingers grabbed hold of his shirt and Tsukishima was jolted from his wondering. Yamaguchi had closed the distance between them and had hid his face behind Tsukishima’s shoulder. The entire right side of his body seemed to go numb and hypersensitive at the same time, leaving his heart stuttering a new. Yamaguchi’s fingertips on his arm burned like fire.

_Can he do it now?_

_Can he hold his shooting star?_

_But what would Yamaguchi think?_

_Would he find out?_

Yamaguchi let out a whimper and in that moment, Tsukishima couldn’t see the freckles and dimples on his face.

He knew what to do.

It was time to make the stars in his eyes shine once more.

It was time to find his constellation.

Tsukishima swallowed and began with, “Hey… it’s just a movie, Yamaguchi.”

Yamaguchi gave a shaky nod but still didn’t look at the screen. Tsukishima reached over and lowered the laptop’s volume as the musical number reached its dissonant climax. He then raised his voice so Yamaguchi wouldn’t hear anything but him. “The scene is almost over. Just give it a minute and Lottie will be back, being annoying and Tiana will be puckering up to the frog before you know it.”

Tsukishima felt the tight feeling in his chest loosen as Yamaguchi’s head started to move out from behind his shoulder. His fearful expression started to change to one of ease as the ghastly colours faded to black and the screen lit up with a vibrant tune, bringing the plot back to the cheerful and positive protagonist. Just in case, Tsukishima gently moved his shoulder out of Yamaguchi’s grasp and instead moved it behind the freckled boy’s back and looped his arm around him, pulling him even closer until the brown waves of Yamaguchi’s hair brushed against the crook of Tsukishima’s neck. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Yamaguchi looked up at him, his brown eyes sparkling a new, but this time with wonder. His hand, no longer trembling, came to rest on Tsukishima’s chest, as if he couldn’t believe that he was actually there, holding him. Tsukishima didn’t want to let him go, not yet. So he closed his eyes, feeling warm and wistful, as the scent of strawberries grew stronger with every breath.

_Can the moon fall in love with a star?_

_Can the moon keep a shooting star to itself, and make all its wishes come true?_

“Tsukki?”

_You’re the shooting star. I am the moon. Can you grant my wish…?_

_“_ Kei.”

_What on Earth do you think you’re doing?!_

Disorientated, Tsukishima’s eyes shot open and his glasses refracted the still images of the movie. Yamaguchi must have paused it while he’d been … doing what? The beat of his heart quickened to a furious pace and the realisation of what he was doing finally sunk in. Emotion after emotion crashed into him, leaving it impossible for him to put on any cold front of indifference. Burning red, Tsukishima swiftly removed his arm from around Yamaguchi and proceeded to scoot as far away as he was able to on the too small space of his bed. Tsukishima opened his mouth to say something, _anything_ , to keep Yamaguchi from reading the truth in his heart, but nothing came out.

“Don’t do that.”

Tsukishima’s heart seemed to stop.

Yamaguchi reached out and took hold of Tsukishima’s hands. He entwined their fingers together and brought them up to his chest.

Tsukishima felt his heart restart; it thudded to match the beat of Yamaguchi’s, which pounded into the back of their hands.

“I like it when we touch, too.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally gotten the next 4 years of my life sorted so now, I can write to my heart's content! This was supposed to be a quick drabble about my moon child and freckles but alas, it has turned into a multi-chapter fluff fest. 
> 
> Here's a dash of angsty dino nerd and helpful older brother for your enjoyment <3

"Kei?"

Tsukishima's heartbeat seemed to quicken tenfold and was shocked to feel Yamaguchi's quicken as well, beating erratically against their hands. Hastily, Tsukishima yanked their hands apart and instantly regretted shattering the reverie Yamaguchi's soft voice had conjured up. Without Yamaguchi's fingers cradling them, warm and brown as coffee, his pale hands felt bare and cold as a moon crater. Tsukishima rose unsteadily from Yamaguchi and made his way to answer the door. With his back to him, Tsukishima couldn't see the freckled boy's forlorn expression. 

Anxiety and frustration made Tsukishima open the door with a little more force than necessary and Akiteru clearly wasn't prepared for his abrupt deadpan reply. "What is it, Nīsan?" 

"Oh... I'm sorry Kei. Was I interrupting something?"

Tsukishima bristled at the suggestive undertone. "No -"

"Ah! Akiteru-san! Welcome home!"

Yamaguchi was at Tsukishima's side in an instant and gently nudged him away from the door. "It's Friday so me and Tsukki were watching a movie!"

Akiteru's hazel eyes softened, teasing glint dimming away. "That's right, it's movie night tonight isn't it?" Tsukishima covered his face for a moment to breathe out a quiet sigh of relief. 

"What movie are you watching? Let me guess, Jurassic Park?"

Yamaguchi laughed and Tsukishima couldn't help but smile at the sound. "Not this time, Akiteru-san, a Disney movie!" 

Akiteru gaped in astonishment. He caught his brother's eye and murmured in disbelief, "I've been trying to get you to watch Disney movies since you were ten years old..."

Tsukishima rolled his eyes and pointedly looked away. "We've been watching Jurassic Park for the past three weeks. We needed a break, that's all."

Yamaguchi nodded vigorously, his flyaway strand of hair bobbing adorably. It took everything in Tsukishima for him not to laugh aloud. Tsukishima flinched when he realised that his brother was still watching him and to his dismay, he was peering intently at his face. Tsukishima immediately willed his small smile to turn into an indifferent smirk. But he could tell from the knowing look in his brother's eyes, that it was too late. He had read his heart. And like all older brothers, Tsukishima knew that Akiteru wasn't going to leave him alone until they talked about it. 

Resigned, Tsukishima turned to Yamaguchi, who had begun to softly hum the folk song Tsukishima had made him listen to on his headphones the other day. His chest ached and swelled at the sound; how can one person make every sound sound like a masterpiece?

"Mom made some soba noodles for dinner. Do you want some?"

Yamaguchi blinked and easily replied, "I would love some, thank you Tsukki! I love Hana-san's cooking." Tsukishima watched with a fluttery feeling in his stomach as freckles and dimples formed a smile, curved and beautiful as a crescent moon. 

"We'll be sure to tell her that when she gets back from Tokyo, Yamaguchi-san. I just need to ask my younger brother some tips for blocking straights and crosses, I have a mock tournament with my university team coming up." Tsukishima winced at the sincerity in Akiteru's voice; he wasn't just trying to get them alone, he was going to pester him about his feelings AND ask him for volleyball tips. Brilliant. 

Yamaguchi gave Tsukishima one last sunny grin and walked out of the room, humming as he made his way to the kitchen. Tsukishima flicked the light switch on, blinking as his room flooded with bright light. Akiteru easily stepped into the room and closed the door for good measure. He settled himself down into Tsukishima's desk chair and gave his younger brother a kind smile. 

"You're in love with him, aren't you."

Tsukishima groaned and fell back onto his bed, head just missing the laptop. He let his feet hang off the bed, swinging restlessly back and forth as he tried to get his burning red emotions to cool down into rational thoughts. "Kind of."

Akiteru chuckled and replied, "Of course you are Kei, I saw the way you were looking at him just now. I don't think I've ever seen your face so red."

"What?!" Tsukishima pressed his palms to his face and cursed under his breath when he felt the flush. "How long?" 

"Since you opened the door. Were you guys really watching a movie?"

"Of course, what else would we be doing?"

"Well -"

"Shut up."

Akiteru chuckled again and held his hands up in surrender. "I'm not implying anything."

"Liar."

"Well, did you want anything to happen? Something other than just 'watching a Disney movie'?

Tsukishima groaned. 

"Thought so," Akiteru's eyes shining with victory.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Tsukishima closed his eyes and pressed his cold fingers to his temple. He was starting to get a stress headache. 

He felt a weight settle next to his torso. "More than you are, by the looks of it." Tsukishima opened one eye to see Akiteru sitting beside him, face settled into a calming smile. Tsukishima was too prideful to ask his brother for help most of the time but every once in a while, be it with a complicated calculus question or in this case, emotions, he was able to stifle it. 

"What should I do, Nīsan?"

Akiteru tentatively moved his hand to Tsukishima's shoulder and after getting a silent nod from the bespectacled boy, gave him a reassuring pat. "I think you should tell him how you feel. But I know it won't be easy for you ... I mean you still can't admit aloud that you really like playing volleyball."

Tsukishima closed his eyes again and replied half-heartedly,"That's not entirely my fault though..."  Akiteru continued to pat his shoulder, letting himself feel uncomfortable for that painful incident. Even though it happened years ago and all was forgiven, it was a memory the two would remember for a long time. And as much as Tsukishima would like to tell himself otherwise, the fact that he'd been lied to by his brother, his role model and in many ways, his other half, had wounded him greatly.

Putting your heart on your sleeve doesn't make you brave. 

It makes you vulnerable. 

Susceptible to heartbreak. 

God, talk about being pessimistic.

Tsukishima opened his eyes and lying down on the bed, he could smell the scent of strawberries and popcorn.

_But Yamaguchi's different._

_**Tadashi** is different. _

"Kei?"

Akiteru was looking down at him now, eyebrows creased in worry.

Tsukishima sighed and pulled himself up into a sitting position until he was shoulder to shoulder with his brother. He rubbed a hand across his face and was relieved to find it cooler. "I want to tell him. But I know he doesn't feel the same."

"You can't be serious." Tsukishima jolted at the look of pure exasperation Akiteru was giving him.

"He would have told me."

Akiteru had the audacity to snort. "Right. Because Yamaguchi would tell you that he was in love with you _first."_

"Well ..." Tsukishima glanced at him in guarded disbelief. "Why wouldn't he?"

Akiteru sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous tick both brothers have adopted. "Yamaguchi's your best friend. And you are his. But everyone has secrets, especially when it comes to secrets of the heart."

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. 

"Not only that, but you've both changed from your time together. You met each other four years ago and according to you, Yamaguchi's become ... cool?"

"He's training harder than anyone to perfect his float serve and at training camp last month, he actually called me out!" Ever since that moonlit night in Tokyo, Tsukishima could feel a small glow of pride shining from within him when he was around Yamaguchi. 

A firefly. 

In light of the situation, Tsukishima couldn't help but laugh at the irony. 

Akiteru smiled at the sound and continued, "What I'm saying is, the Yamaguchi you met four years ago isn't here anymore. He's obviously grown very adept at reading you. Kei."

The sudden emphasis on his name caused Tsukishima to turn around and look his brother in the eye. "He understands you more than anyone else in this entire galaxy. Do you understand him in the same way?"

The gravity of his older brother's words caused Tsukishima's thin veneer of confidence to fade away, leaving an immense black hole of doubt and confusion.

_Tadashi is different now._

Suddenly, Akiteru's demeanour changed from ominous to downright cheerful. "Of course you do Kei. He's still here, isn't he?"

Tsukishima blinked and nodded as his brother's statement of the obvious quelled his turbulent thoughts. 

 _He's still here. With me._  

The brothers jumped when they heard Yamaguchi call from the kitchen table. "Guys, you better come now before I eat all the noodles!"

Akiteru chuckled and swiftly rose from Tsukishima's bed. He held out a hand and Tsukishima took hold of it, allowing his brother just once to take care of him the way he did when he was still in primary school. Before Tsukishima could let go, Akiteru tightened his grip and clapped him on the shoulder with his other hand. 

"Tell him when you think the time is right."

Seeing his brother so sincere in front of him, Tsukishima suddenly couldn't speak past the lump of gratitude in his throat. So he nodded instead with one of his rare smiles he saved for family. Akiteru grinned. "It's nice to know that you can smile like that not only for Yamaguchi."

And just like that, Tsukishima felt his feelings of warm gratitude fizzle out to be replaced by cool sardonicism. "Shut up, Nīsan."

"Make me, four-eyes," Akiteru gleefully replied. "Requited love is right in front of you and you can't even see it."

Tsukishima groaned and withdrew his hand from his now 'cripplingly annoying' older brother and made his way to the kitchen to join Yamaguchi.

With his back to him, Akiteru couldn't see how a small glow of hope was making Tsukishima's normally stoic face look ... vulnerable. 

_Putting my heart on my sleeve doesn't make me brave._

_But hopefully, this time, it will._

* * *

_You may be the Clever Blocker on the volleyball court, Tsukki._

_But now, you're not being clever at all._

_I've read your heart._

_Now read mine._

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Tsukishima stopped just outside of the kitchen's entryway and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, knowing full well that the subject of his affections and ergo, his emotional crisis, would be there. Even so, he would never be prepared for the swooping sensations in his stomach and the stuttering of his heart.

Falling in love with Yamaguchi Tadashi was the worst thing that could have ever happened to him.

“Leave it to me.”

Tsukishima opened his eyes to find his brother beside him, arms crossed and face adorned with a cheeky grin.

“What do you mean,” Tsukishima murmured so as to not alert Yamaguchi of their presence.

Akiteru gave him a soft pat on the back, and a wink, before moving past him into the kitchen, chastising Yamaguchi for not having eaten enough.

“You didn’t even touch the noodles,” Akiteru cried out in an accusatory tone.

Yamaguchi’s reply was swift and indignant. “Excuse me for not wanting to eat noodles all by myself!”

The two chuckled and Tsukishima heard the clink of porcelain on the table, followed by the scrape of a wooden chair along the floor. "Where's Tsukki?" 

Tsukishima pressed a hand to his chest, sighing at how his heartrate refused to slow down.

_Not ready yet._

Hidden in the shadow of the unlit entryway, he saw Akiteru quickly glance in his general direction before saying, “He just went to the bathroom; he’ll be along in a moment.”

Yamaguchi gave a soft hum of acknowledgement. “Would you like some tea, Akiteru-san?”

“Thanks, Yamaguchi-san.”

Tsukishima pressed a hand to his cheek to find it relatively cool.

_Almost ready._

“GAH!”

Tsukishima flinched. “You didn’t even touch the green onion?! That’s the best part!”

_Ni-san’s such a drama queen._

Yamaguchi gave a bashful giggle. “I know they’re Tsukki’s favourite so I was just saving them until he got here.”

Tsukishima felt a wave of warmth come over him, leaving behind a familiar, soft glow inside his chest, flitting and fluttering around his heart.

The firefly.

When Yamaguchi’s laughter had subsided, Tsukishima cringed when his brother said “Aw, what did my brother ever do to get such a considerate _friend_ like you?”

Tsukishima muttered choice words under his breath at the teasing lilt in his brother’s voice.

Yamaguchi however, didn’t seem to be fazed at all by Akiteru’s antics. “Well considering I spend every Friday night at his house, it seemed appropriate to let the host eat his vegetables. He’s only just started gaining muscle and he’s still a growing boy after all.”

Tsukishima had to stifle a laugh; only Yamaguchi could have quoted him verbatim from training camp in the third gymnasium so eloquently.

Akiteru gave a hearty laugh. “The next time Kei’s being stingy about my cooking, I’ll be sure to give you a call! He’s always in a better mood when you’re around.”

_Damn it, Ni-san._

“Is that so?”

Akiteru pulled apart his chopsticks and sent a quick glance in his direction, the loud crackle from the breaking wood and his narrowed hazel eyes sending a subliminal message to the spectacled boy:

_Whenever you’re ready, Kei._

Tsukishima quickly carded his fingers through his hair and made sure his glasses where perched just right on the bridge of his nose. Despite his nerves, he felt his lips twitch into a small smile.

_Who knew Ni-san could be such a good wingman?_

With a deep breath, Tsukishima stepped out of dark entryway and into the brightly lit kitchen. At his arrival, Yamaguchi looked up from his bowl of noodles, letting Akiteru’s wink go unnoticed by the freckled boy.

Yamaguchi gave a small cheer, hands raised playfully in the air. "Well it's about time, Tsukki! And here I thought, you were going to make me eat the noodles all by myself!"

"And what am I, chopped liver?!" Akiteru exclaimed, mouth full of noodles.

Tsukishima snorted into his hand, his small smile spreading into a grin. He sat down in the chair opposite to Yamaguchi, seeing as how his brother was sitting in the chair beside him (Akiteru wiggling his eyebrows at him the whole time while Yamaguchi took a sip of tea). The two had already set out a bowl and a pair of chopsticks for him and as Tsukishima filled his bowl with noodles and a generous portion of his ‘favourite’ green onions, Akiteru picked up the teapot and easily poured him a cup and refilled Yamaguchi's. 

Comfortable silence settled over the table and as Tsukishima took his first bite, he couldn’t help but smile at the taste of his mother’s cooking. He looked up from his bowl to find both Akiteru and Yamaguchi grinning at him.

“What?”

“Mom’s going to be so happy when she finds out you smiled about her food,” Akiteru cheerfully replied, stuffing his mouth with more noodles for good measure.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full Ni-san. What are you, twelve?”

“Twelve plus seven, little brother. I thought you were good at math!”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, Yamaguchi stifling his giggles all the while.

“Why were you smiling at me just now, Yamaguchi?” Tsukishima returned his focus back to his food, mentally preparing himself for the flutters he was going to feel for having asked such a question.

Akiteru suddenly rose from the table. “Ah! Sorry guys, I’ll be right back! I just remembered I have a phone call to make!”

He was out of the kitchen before Tsukishima could curse him for _being the most obvious wingman in the world_.

“Because you were smiling.”

Tsukishima looked up again and instantly regretted it because the expression on Yamaguchi’s face was one he’d never seen before. Those brown eyes, normally so bright and easy to read, had dimmed to a soft glimmer, the unspoken language Tsukishima could normally understand lost in this suddenly silent  and terrifyingly fragile moment.

_You are the shooting star… I am the moon._

“What … do you mean by that?” Tsukishima found himself murmuring.

“What else would I mean by it,” Yamaguchi easily replied, voice soft. Those brown eyes kept gazing at him, silently telling him something, sending his thoughts reeling with flutters, star shine, and firefly glow.

_“I like it when we touch too.”_

_You don’t though … you can’t … not the way I do._

“I …

_I think I’m in love with you…_

“I … don’t understand,” Tsukishima said faintly. He felt lost, lost in those eyes and unable to translate.

_What are you trying to tell me…?_

Yamaguchi opened his mouth as if to say more but instead, he pursed his lips together and Tsukishima gave a start when the freckled boy blinked once and those brown eyes became familiar again.

“I was smiling because Akiteru-san thought it was funny of me to not eat any of it until you sat down, but now that you have, that means I can have some green onion too!”

Tsukishima quickly looked down at his food, and muttered, “Of course you can have some, Yamaguchi.”

_Of course you can._

Yamaguchi giggled, quicker than usual. “Thanks, Tsukki!”

As Yamaguchi served himself some of the onions, Tsukishima ended up gazing wistfully at him from the bottom of his glasses.

_You’re welcome … Tadashi._

Right on cue, Akiteru barged back into the kitchen, Tsukishima scowling at him as he pretended to slip his cell phone into his pocket.

“Sorry about that, had to ring up our libero to discuss logistics for the match. What’d I miss?”

“Tsukki said I could have some of the vegetables,” Yamaguchi declared proudly as he waved a chopstick through the air.

Still reeling from that strange moment, Tsukishima didn’t trust himself to speak so he simply shrugged.

“I see! Well then, leave some for me!”

* * *

 

Gradually, Tsukishima relaxed, relieved that Yamaguchi’s eyes and laughter had returned to their normal vibrancy. As he sipped his tea (he’d lost count how many cups he’d drunk) Tsukishima begrudgingly admitted to himself that Akiteru, although painfully obvious, was a really good wingman; he would start up another conversation between the three of them and then leave him and Yamaguchi to talk while he busied himself with eating the rest of the noodles. Somehow, Akiteru also managed to keep subtly reminding Yamaguchi how Tsukishima was ‘much more pleasant to be around’ whenever he came over.

Tsukishima almost choked on his tea when his brother cheerily exclaimed, “He actually told me a while back that Friday was his favourite day of the week! For obvious reasons,” winking at the two of them. Tsukishima pretended to examine his glasses, polishing non-existent smudges with his shirt so as not to look at his ‘wingman’ and the freckled boy, whose face had just so happened to turn a lovely shade of pink.

The table was silent for a few moments until a no longer blushing Yamaguchi, after having finished chewing a piece of green onion, asked, "So Akiteru-san, what blocking tips did Tsukki give you?"

_The brothers looked up at each other._

_Crap._

Akiteru's chopsticks froze, noodle and onion halfway to his mouth. "Ah! Well ... he told me to, what was it... " He sheepishly placed his chopsticks on top of his bowl and looked at Tsukishima blankly. Tsukishima gave a cough and subtly twitched his right shoulder.

"Oh yeah! To keep my arms shoulder width apart!" 

"What else?"

"Um, why don't you ask Kei himself? I can't remember everything he told me."

Tsukishima glared as his brother quickly stuffed his mouth with noodles, leaving him to pick up the slack. He sighed and placed his chopsticks down on his bowl and turned his gaze to Yamaguchi. 

"I told him that his hands should form "a natural grab" around the ball. The optimal block is when you place your hands next to each other and turn them slightly around the ball because it works better than just putting up a straight and flat surface. So for example, if the setter sets the ball to a right wing-spiker, he should turn his right hand slightly inside so that it falls towards the centre. Depending on how much power he transfers to his fingers, the ball could land in the front or back centre of the court."

Tsukishima blinked in surprise when Yamaguchi's mouth fell open into wide O of astonishment. Akiteru, trying very hard not to look stunned, cleared his throat.

"Yeah... that's exactly what he told me, Yamaguchi."

"Tsukki, you're amazing!"

Yamaguchi had leaned forward on his elbows during Tsukishima’s explanation, hands curled into fists of excitement. Trying not to think about how close their hands were, Tsukishima found himself unable to look at anywhere and anyone but him; eyes shining like stars, dimples and freckles turned up into a wide grin. Tsukishima felt his cheeks burn.

"Always the clever blocker, aren't you Kei."

Akiteru had the gall to chuckle at Tsukishima's dead-eyed stare. Yamaguchi gave a happy sigh as he drew his hands away from Tsukishima’s side of the table. “I think I drank too much tea,” he said sheepishly as he rose from the table and made his way to the hall.

As soon as Yamaguchi had left the kitchen, Tsukishima dropped his head onto the table, barely missing his bowl of half-eaten noodles.

“You’re the worst.”

“Correction: I’m the best wingman in the world, and you know it.”

Tsukishima raised his head off the table and glared at his brother who was giving him the cheekiest grin, with no trace of remorse.

“You really can’t see it, can’t you?”

Tsukishima groaned and stifled the urge to kick his shin from underneath the table. “Why are you and Yamaguchi being so cryptic? It’s annoying.”

“Well it’s not my fault you’re completely oblivious,” Akiteru chuckled as he got out of his chair and began to clear the table. Tsukishima grunted by way of thanks when he took his bowl of noodles to the sink.

Tsukishima gave a start when the sound of a cardboard box hit the table, making him raise his head. The box was white, the fancy flowery logo on the top telling Tsukishima it was from the cake shop down the street. Akiteru casually opened the box and pushed it closer to his brother.

It was a strawberry shortcake.

“How did you know?” The first time Tsukishima had tried strawberry short cake was three days ago. And he loved it.

Akiteru simply smiled and made his way out of the kitchen. “I really do have to meet up with my libero now. Have a good night, Kei!”

Like clockwork, as soon as Akiteru had disappeared from the entryway, Yamaguchi was back, freckly face adorned with a grin. “I’m so glad the cake got here on time!”

Yamaguchi practically ran over to the table, brown eyes sparkling as he looked into the box. Tsukishima was finding it very difficult to form a coherent train of thought, what with Yamaguchi and a strawberry shortcake being in his immediate presence at the _very same time._

“Do you like it, Tsukki? I remembered the look on your face when we tried this cake at the shop a few days ago after practice so I asked Akiteru-san if he could order one to be made for tonight’s movie night! To be honest, I was worried it wouldn’t be able to be made on time because they Akiteru-san that they ran out of strawberries and - "

“Yamaguchi.”

The freckled boy’s rambling came abruptly to a halt and Tsukishima couldn't help but let his lips curl into a grin.

“I love it.”

Yamaguchi's cheerful laugh gave Tsukishima flutters. "I'm glad, let's eat it while we watch the movie!"

A few minutes later, the pair was back in Tsukishima's bedroom, strawberry shortcake balanced precariously on their laps with a plastic knife and a couple of plates and forks.  Eyebrows scrunched in concentration, Yamaguchi sliced the small cake into two equal pieces but before Tsukishima could move his piece onto a plate, Yamaguchi placed four of the six adorning strawberries onto his slice. 

"I know you love strawberries,"Yamaguchi said in reply to Tsukishima's shocked expression. With a click on the laptop, music and brightly animated characters filled the room once more and as the film introduced the highly anticipated _talking fireflies_ , Tsukishima's own firefly flitted and fluttered around his heart.

With the taste of strawberries in his mouth and the freckled boy's shoulders pressing warmly into his own, Tsukishima knew right then and there:

Falling in love with Yamaguchi Tadashi was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.   

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My finals are in two months so I have been devoting most of my existence to preparing for them as of late. As a result, the next update will be late but so very fluffy and sweet, I promise <3 Thank you for sticking with me and reading this movie-night drabble turned full on rom-com, you are all so lovely <3


End file.
